When movies were being developed with sound, what were they called?

A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. In other words, it's a film which sounds or talks: that's why first commercial sound films created in the late 1920s were known as "talking pictures" or just "talkies". First sound films were presented in Paris in 1900, but it took decades to make them commercially practical. The first commercial short motion sound film was screened in 1923. The first film originally presented as a talkie was "The Jazz Singer", 1927.

We are used to watching sound films, and we usually need it in HD. And what about good old-fashioned silent films? It was a great means of entertainment for the people of those times! Have you ever seen a silent movie? Tell us in the comments below!

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What are your thoughts on this subject?

57 Comments

gsinnott

A little tidbit to note: My great uncle was Mack Sennett from the silent movies era (née, Michael Sinnott, who changed the spelling to agree with the pronunciation). He created the Keystone Kops and other classic comedies in the Mack Sennett Studios in Hollywood -starting in the mid-teens. He discovered Ben Turpin, Charlie Chaplin, Jean Harlow, and many other pioneers in the industry. Mack was born in Cork County, Ireland, a few houses away from my dad, Andrew Sinnott. Mack was at least a generation older than dad (circa,1858). Anyway, we had many of his ‘silents’ many years ago. Unfortunately, they were all destroyed with age and overuse.

marilynmitri

The old silent films used celluloid, which burns in a flash and gets brittle with time. It makes sense that people move in the "movies" and talk as well in the "talkies". I think we still call them movies because it's smoother to say.

Seen. Metropolis, the original is still relevant of today's society.

Armadillo

I have never heard of anyone attending any theater to see a film, silent or otherwise, where a pianist or organ player would even be thought of.

Marti Powell

Thanks for sharing!

vallerie wilkins

Yes I have watched a couple of silent movies. They were Charlie Chaplin movies.

Chris

I remember watching silent movies at Shakey's Pizza when I was a kid.

Conrado De Leon

Not on ly I watched silent movies (most of Chaplin's first movies). I aldo did ythe voice over translation of the subtitles in a movie theatre when they were in Emglish and the audience spole only Spanish.

Robert - Hunter Valley

A Journalist with a sore throat - great vision of the silent.

vrexroth

Yes I have watched silent movies.

Marquita Simmons

8 of 10.

crystalseeker

Yes, at Tom Mix Museum in Dewey, Oklahoma.

Don Racette

Cheryl McMeekin Your husband told me YOU are talking all the time.

bmeuler

I watched them all the time. There was a movie house in L.A. that played only silent films until the 70's. Great entertainment. Also a channel on tv that played them.